Hey Scott, the recipe sounds lovely. I might try it with a mix of fresh and dried cranberries. Questions: I don’t quite understand the benefit of letting the batter sit for 30 minutes before adding the nuts and fruit. Is this specific to GF cakes? Also, isn’t the tried and true technique of using a toothpick and your own eyes and nose enough to test doneness? These questions come from a curious, not a critical, place. I’m not an experienced GF baker, but sometimes I have GF guests.
Thanks for the comments and questions. One thing I struggled with a bit when testing this recipe was getting a dry, crumbly texture. I read the tips about letting the GF batter sit and using a thermometer in Rachel Ciordas’s Substack, so I thought I’d try that, and I got a better result. My understanding is that because the flour does not have gluten, it takes longer to fully absorb the liquid, so letting it sit helps with that. I also found that using the toothpick method often resulted in overbaking, but when I used the thermometer, it turned out just right. My understanding is that GF breads need a slightly higher internal temperature than ones with gluten to be done, so take longer in the oven.
Scott, thanks for answering my questions so thoroughly. Everything you say makes sense. Next time I make a gluten-free cake, I will follow these two tips. I really appreciate knowing the reasons why.
Hey Scott, the recipe sounds lovely. I might try it with a mix of fresh and dried cranberries. Questions: I don’t quite understand the benefit of letting the batter sit for 30 minutes before adding the nuts and fruit. Is this specific to GF cakes? Also, isn’t the tried and true technique of using a toothpick and your own eyes and nose enough to test doneness? These questions come from a curious, not a critical, place. I’m not an experienced GF baker, but sometimes I have GF guests.
Thanks for the comments and questions. One thing I struggled with a bit when testing this recipe was getting a dry, crumbly texture. I read the tips about letting the GF batter sit and using a thermometer in Rachel Ciordas’s Substack, so I thought I’d try that, and I got a better result. My understanding is that because the flour does not have gluten, it takes longer to fully absorb the liquid, so letting it sit helps with that. I also found that using the toothpick method often resulted in overbaking, but when I used the thermometer, it turned out just right. My understanding is that GF breads need a slightly higher internal temperature than ones with gluten to be done, so take longer in the oven.
Scott, thanks for answering my questions so thoroughly. Everything you say makes sense. Next time I make a gluten-free cake, I will follow these two tips. I really appreciate knowing the reasons why.
mouthwatering.... 🤤